


The Library System

by Fringuello



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 16:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14814744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fringuello/pseuds/Fringuello
Summary: A library scene, in response to Zaniida's April prompt.  The sentences can be read in original order or reverse order.





	The Library System

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zaniida](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaniida/gifts).
  * Inspired by [April Flounces By](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14169414) by [Zaniida](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaniida/pseuds/Zaniida). 



“ _Mr. Reese_. I’m afraid I must ask you to stop that—immediately.”

Slowly and deliberately, John slid the book he was holding into a random location on the nearest shelf.

“ _Please_ just leave it for me, Mr. Reese; I’d prefer to take care of this myself.”

“Just trying to make things easier for you, Finch,” said John, an innocent look on his face, but a twinkle in his eyes.

“That’s not what you’re doing.”

“Since there’s no number to work on right now, it seems only fair that I help out with this end of the job,” said John, shrugging.

“Surely you have some weapons in dire need of maintenance,” said Harold, thin lips pressed tightly together as he turned to glare at the tall man.

“You know, Finch, there’s no reason for you to still keep shutting me out,” John retorted, raising his eyebrows at Finch’s comment.

“There’s nothing here you need concern yourself about, Mr. Reese,” Finch replied, dismissively.

“Finch, how on earth do you manage to find the right books so quickly when the machine calls?”

“Don’t worry about it, Mr. Reese—I have a system.”

Finch focused his attention on his computer screen.

John’s gaze swept across the tottering piles of books, pulled for the numbers who had come up in the previous two hectic weeks, still stacked on the computer desk.

“I really think it’s about time we did some organizing around here, Harold,” said John, as he picked up a book.

**Author's Note:**

> My first posted work (so please be patient with any posting mistakes or omissions), getting in under the wire for Zaniida's prompt, "April Flounces By."
> 
> An additional inspiration was the episode "The Contingency," with the details it revealed about how Finch used the books in the library to figure out the Social Security numbers. I like the basic idea, but I have two problems with the execution: (1) the show is inaccurate in its portrayal of how the Dewey Decimal System works, and (2) the books were placed on the shelf in order by number, which would seem to make the process of searching out the correct books rather difficult and time consuming, because the number was the one piece of information about the book that the Machine _didn't_ provide.


End file.
